2001

60 Minutes Show: Nothing New, And Nothing Positive

March 2001

In a short fifteen minute segment, CBS’s 60 Minutes managed to include everything negative you could possibly says about the diamond industry — including the "conflict" issue, the idea that diamonds are not rare, De Beers’ stockpile contains loads of conflict diamonds, and the way De Beers forced Mobuto to sell his diamonds. Most of what they said was nothing new, but with all the things they mentioned, they left out that the industry is trying to do something about the "conflict" issue, or that the best diamonds really are rare, or that De Beers’ hold on the industry is a lot less than it was.

We were particularly upset with the show’s conclusion: "After all, anything can be a token of love if we choose to make it so," said reporter Bob Simon. Ultimately, though, women have the last word on that point, and for more than fifty years they’ve said that only a diamond signifies a commitment forever.